1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric jack. More specifically, the present invention relates to an electric jack which has both internal connection terminals and external connection terminals for use in mobile phones or other equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Number 64-63283, discloses a jack including a housing and an internal contact. The housing includes a tubular piece. The internal contact has a contact piece placed in an interior of the housing. A cap-shaped external contact is located on the tubular piece. Audio signals are transmitted from a device body to a headphone (including an earphone) by the internal contact. The external contact transmits a control signal from a remote control to a device body.
The external contact has a tubular shape (cap-shaped). The external contact is held in place by joining an end portion of the housing. In use, the external contact is connected to the jack. Unfortunately, in this device, the jack is so small that a jack of useful size has room for only one external contact. Since the control signal transmitted is limited, the jack cannot be used for a multi-functional portable audio device.
An object of the present invention is to provide a multipolar connector which overcomes the limitations of the prior art.
It is another object of the present invention is to provide a multipolar connector equipped with a plurality of external contacts and an internal contact.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a multipolar jack connector that allows secure electrical connection between a plurality of external contacts and at least one internal contact.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a jack that may be easily adapted for use in a plurality of portable and fixed electronic devices.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a jack that may be easily adapted to multi-functional uses.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a jack that is easily adapted to multi-polar designs and is effective to minimize the overall size of the jack.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a jack that is easy to manufacture and provides stable and secure connection to a plug while eliminating instability during soldering to a substrate.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a jack that is readily adapted to handle a plurality of signals or remote controlled devices, such as headphones.
The present invention relates to a jack including a housing having a cylindrical piece, a body, and at least one external connection terminal. The cylindrical piece includes a plug insertion hole and the body includes an inner chamber. The plug insertion hole and the chamber receive an plug for electrical connection to a circuit. The external connection terminals are fixed to the housing in grooves to simplify assembly. The external connection terminals include elastic pieces and contact pieces. During assembly with a plug, elastic pieces elastically urge contact pieces into electrical contact with an inner conduction portion of the plug to provide secure electrical connection.
According to an embodiment of the present invention there is provided a jack for electrically connecting a plug to a circuit, the jack comprising: a housing, the housing including a body piece and an insertion piece, the insertion piece having a first perimeter and an insertion hole, the body piece bounding a chamber adjacent the insertion hole, the insertion hole and the chamber effective to receive the plug during a plug insertion along a plug insertion direction, at least a first external connection terminal in the housing, the first external connection terminal including at least a first contact piece, a first elastic piece, a first leg piece, and a first latching tab, the first elastic piece operable parallel to the plug insertion direction, the first leg piece extending perpendicular to the plug insertion direction, the first latching tab fixing the first external connection terminal in at least a first long groove in the housing, the first contact piece extending away from the insertion hole and being proximate the first perimeter prior to the plug insertion, and the first elastic piece and the first contact piece effective to elastically engage a first inner portion of the plug during the plug insertion and displace the first contact piece toward the insertion hole, whereby the jack enables reliable and elastic electrical connection from the plug to the circuit.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a jack, further comprising: at least a second external connection terminal in the housing, at least a second long groove in the housing, the first long groove being parallel to the plug insertion direction, and the second long groove being parallel to the plug insertion direction.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a jack, further comprising: a first holding piece on the first external connection terminal, a first support piece on the first external connection terminal, the first support piece including a first bent piece projecting perpendicular from the first support piece, and the first long groove effective to guidably receive the first holding piece, the first support piece, and the first latching tab and retain the first external connection terminal in the first long groove, thereby supporting the first elastic piece and the first contact piece.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a jack, wherein: the second external connection terminal includes at least a second contact piece, a second elastic piece, a second leg piece, and a second latching tab, the second leg piece extending perpendicular to the plug insertion direction, the second contact piece extending away from the insertion hole and being proximate the first perimeter prior to the plug insertion, and the second elastic piece and the second contact piece effective to elastically engage a second inner portion of the plug during the plug insertion and displace the second contact piece toward the insertion hole, whereby the jack enables reliable and elastic multi-pole electrical connection from the plug to the circuit.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a jack, further comprising: a second holding piece on the second external connection terminal, a second support piece on the second external connection terminal, and the second long groove effective to guidably receive at least the second holding piece, the second support piece, and the second latching tab and retain the second external connection terminal in the second long groove, thereby supporting the second elastic piece and the second contact piece.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a jack, further comprising: a first short groove, the first short groove continuous with at least the first long groove, a second short groove, the second short groove continuous with at least the second long groove, the first short groove effective to receive the first elastic piece and enable the first elastic piece and the first contact piece to elastically displace toward the insertion hole during the plug insertion, whereby the first elastic piece has sufficient room to elastically flex in the first short groove while minimizing a size of the jack, and the second short groove effective to receive the second elastic piece and enable the second elastic piece and the second contact piece to elastically displace toward the insertion hole during the plug insertion, whereby the second elastic piece has sufficient room to elastically flex in the second short groove while minimizing the size of the jack.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a jack, wherein: the first and the second leg pieces extend parallel to a substrate face of the jack, thereby enabling secure soldering of the jack to an external substrate and the circuit.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a jack, wherein: the first and the second leg pieces extend perpendicular to a substrate face of the jack, thereby enabling securing soldering of the jack to an external substrate and the circuit.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a jack, wherein: the body piece including a plurality of inner connection terminal holes, the plurality of inner connection terminal holes begin digitally accessible on a side of the body piece opposite the insertion piece, and the plurality of inner connection terminal holes effective to securely receive at least one corresponding inner connection terminal during an assembly of the jack, whereby the jack is easily and rapidly assembled and production time is reduced.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a jack, further comprising: a first end portion on the first elastic piece opposite the first leg piece, a second end portion in the second elastic piece opposite the second leg piece, a first wall in the first short groove opposite the first end portion, a second wall in the second short groove opposite the second end portion, the first end portion contacting the first wall during the insertion, the second end portion contacting the second wall during the insertion, and the first and the second walls effective to restrain an elastic deflection of the first and the second end portions in a deflection direction during the insertion, thereby enabling a secure and stable electrical connection with an increased elastic resistance.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a jack, further comprising: a first distance between the first contact piece and the first end portion, a second distance between the second contact piece and the second end portion, the first inner portion being opposite the first contact piece, the second inner portion being opposite the second contact piece, the first distance is not equivalent to the second distance, and the first contact piece and the second contact piece being effective to provide elastic electrical connection to corresponding the first and the second inner portions of the plug, whereby the jack is easily adapted to differing plug designs while providing secure electrical connection.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a jack, comprising: a housing, the housing including a body piece and an insertion piece, the insertion piece having a first perimeter and an insertion hole, the body piece bounding a chamber adjacent the insertion hole, the insertion hole and the chamber effective to receive the plug during a plug insertion along a plug insertion direction, first external connection means for elastically engaging a first inner portion of the plug during the plug insertion and electrically connecting to the circuit, the first external connection means including at least a first contact piece and a first elastic piece, means for fixing the first external connection means to the housing, the first elastic piece elastically engaging the first inner portion of the plug, the first contact piece extending away from the insertion hole and being proximate the first perimeter prior to the plug insertion, whereby the first external connection means and the means for fixing provide secure elastic electrical connection from the plug to the circuit.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a jack, comprising: an insulating housing, the insulating housing including a cylindrical piece and a body piece, the cylindrical piece including a plug insertion hole, the body piece including a hollow adjacent the plug insertion hole, the hollow and the plug insertion hole effective to receive the plug from a plug insertion direction during a plug insertion, at least a first internal terminal connecting to a first conductive piece of the plug during the plug insertion, at least a first external connection terminal, the first external connection terminal having at least a first contact piece, and the first contact piece proximate an outer perimeter of the cylindrical piece effective to elastically and securely connect a second conductive piece of the plug to the circuit during the plug insertion.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a jack, wherein: the first external connection terminal includes a first holding piece, the first holding piece being effective to retain the first external connection terminal in the housing, the first external connection terminal includes a first elastic piece, the first contact piece on the first elastic piece, and the first elastic piece extends in a direction parallel to a plug insertion direction and elastically deforms during a plug insertion to elastically and securely electrically connect the first contact piece to a first inner conducting piece of the plug.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a jack, wherein: the first external connection terminal includes a first end piece, the end piece on the first elastic piece opposite the first holding piece, the first end piece in a position opposite the cylindrical piece, the first end piece bent in a direction toward the plug insertion hole, and the first end piece effective to contact a surface of the cylindrical piece during the plug insertion, whereby the jack provides secure electrical connection from the plug to the circuit.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a jack, wherein: the first contact piece between the first end piece and the first holding piece on the first elastic piece, whereby a position of the first contact piece is easily adaptable by an external manufacturer to match the plug.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a jack, wherein: the first contact piece protruding from the first elastic piece in a first direction away from the insertion hole, whereby the first contact piece can easily electrically connect to an inner conductive surface of the plug.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a jack, wherein: the first holding piece includes a first support piece, the first support piece extending perpendicular from the first holding piece, a first long groove in the body piece, the first long groove parallel a lower surface of the body piece, and the first support piece retained in the first long groove, whereby elastic electrical connection with the plug is simplified.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a jack, further comprising: a first short groove in the body piece, the first short groove continuous with the first long grove, the first short groove effective to receive the first elastic piece during the plug insertion thereby enabling secure electrical connection from the plug to the circuit.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a jack, further comprising: a first leg piece on the first external connection terminal, and the first leg piece extending away from the external connection terminal perpendicular the insertion direction.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a jack, wherein: the first external connection terminal is effective as a first terminal for conducting an external control signal from the plug to the circuit.
According to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a jack, wherein: the jack and the first external connection terminal is effective to control an external remote control.
The external connection terminal includes a holding piece, held by the housing, and an elastic piece, that extends in a direction parallel to a plug insertion direction and elastically deforms when connecting with a conductive piece of the plug.
By bending an end of the elastic piece inward, the end contacts the cylindrical piece when the elastic piece connects with the conductive piece.
The contact piece is in a symmetric position with respect to the plug insertion hole but is positioned at shifted positions with respect to the plug insertion direction. These positions and the design which allows the contact piece to protrude outward, minimize jack size.
On the body, a vertical groove extends from the horizontal groove. The holding piece is housed in the vertical groove. One end of the external connection terminal has a leg piece that is either surface-mounted or through-mounted onto a conductive piece of a substrate. The external connection terminal is a terminal for control signal. A remote control can be controlled through the external connection terminal.
The above, and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate the same elements.